


Hooyah

by pterawaters



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Episode Tag, Gen, Ghosts, Heart-to-Heart, short fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-23
Updated: 2019-01-23
Packaged: 2019-10-15 03:42:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17521337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pterawaters/pseuds/pterawaters
Summary: Steve's ghosts have always haunted him. Somehow he never expected Joe White would become one of them.





	Hooyah

**Author's Note:**

> We used to see Steve talking to his dad's ghost a lot. I figured it would probably happen with Joe White, too. The idea struck me and I couldn't help but write it asap. Set during the last few minutes of 9.11.

Steve dozes a bit on the plane back from China, his weariness bone-deep. He hasn't been sleeping much this past month, and now that it's over, he's not sure sleep will ever come easily again. Still, he must have been asleep, because now someone is sitting in the seat next to his. 

"You didn't have to do all of this for me," says Joe's voice, which is impossible because Joe is dead. Steve sat with his lifeless body for an entire hour before help arrived. Still, Joe sits in the seat next to Steve's, looking just like he did a month ago.

It's not that Steve has never had this happen to him before - memories come back to life for him more than they should. It happened a lot with his dad. It happened with Jenna a few times. Once with Freddie. Malia would always tell Steve when Chin wasn't sleeping. It's been a long time since anyone showed up. Steve put it down to not losing anyone close to him for awhile. Why did it have to be Joe who broke the streak?

"I had to, Joe," Steve says, folding his arms over his chest. "And not just for you."

Joe shrugs. "If it wasn't me, you wouldn't have let Catherine and her CIA friends take care of it?"

Having no argument to fall back on, Steve frowns at Joe. "You know I can't… When it gets personal, I…"

"Yeah, I know, son," Joe says, patting Steve's arm. It feels as real as if Joe was actually there. Steve bites his tongue to stop the watering of his eyes. "I always respected that about you."

The compliment does Steve in and a tear escapes his right eye. He quickly brushes it away. "What happens now?"

"What always happens, I suppose," Joe says with that pseudo-wise, almost cocky smile of his. "Life goes on."

"For everyone except you."

"Well, yes. That's true." Joe smiles again, serene in a way that makes Steve's worry about him dissolve. "It's not so bad on this side of things."

Steve rolls his eyes. "You're just trying to make me feel better."

"My prerogative." He gives Steve another one of those damn smiles and hell if it doesn't make Steve laugh. Joe nudges Steve's elbow again and says, "I meant it though. You're too old to be alone."

Steve gives a huff in frustration. "Like I haven't been trying? I had a girlfriend. Things just didn't work out."

"Yeah? And how long ago did you know they were never going to work out?"

Steve doesn't say anything, too embarrassed to admit he knew it from the beginning. 

"Catherine didn't want to stay."

"The world isn't two women, Steven," Joe says. "Take the time and look for someone who does want to stay. Just because it's a hard task, doesn't mean it's not worth doing."

Shaking his head, Steve closes his eyes and mutters, "Hooyah."

"Hooyah."

When Steve opens his eyes, turning to Joe to ask if Zarah knew what Joe used to do, Joe is gone. Of course he is. Danny walks across the cargo plane, pulling down the jump seat on Steve's other side and sitting in it. 

"You good?" Danny asks, the concern in his voice present, but not so severe it makes Steve feel more fragile than he has been feeling for the past month. It's stupid how well Danny knows him.

"Yeah," Steve says, tapping his fist on Danny's knee in thanks. "Yeah, I'm good."


End file.
